Mitten



Oct. 27, 1953 J. E. LANGFORD 2,656,544

- MITTEN Filed Oct. 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1 FIG. 2

mvmrom J. E. LANGFORD BY Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,"

MITTEN John E. Langford, Littleton, N. H.

Application October 24, 1950, Serial No. 191,789

4 Claims.

i This invention relates to protective coverings and more particularly to those adapted to be worn by human beings. Specifically, the invention relates to a mitten of the character used by skiers.

The mitten of the present invention is of general utility, although especially designed to resist wear across the palm and thumb which normally occurs when a tow rope of cable is grasped, as is commonly done at resorts where skiing is popular and where the skiers are frequently assisted or carried up an incline by means of such cable. Sliding movement between the glove and the cable which takes place during the towing produces an unusual amount of wear on the gloves or mittens worn by the skier. Difiiculty has been experienced in providing a hand covering which would withstand repeated use of this nature. In the ordinary mitten the seams connecting the palm and back pieces are at the sides of the mitten where they are exposed to the chafing of the rope or cable as it slides through the encased hand. Likewise, the mitten has been largely susceptible to wear at the palm and thumb portions and at the joint between the palm and the thumb.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mitten particularly adapted to resist the type of wear received by mittens employed by skiers using a tow cable or rope.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a mitten which is simple and economical to make and which is particularly adapted to withstand severe usage.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the left hand of a mitten as viewed from the back and constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2, a plan view of the palm;

Fig. 3, a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5, a perspective of the mitten showing the palm side; and

Fig. 6, a pattern layout illustrating the pieces from which a right hand mitten is fabricated.

Referring to the drawings, the mitten comprises a palm piece I!) having a little finger side portion II and a thumb side portion l2. A substantially circular aperture [3 is out part way through the palm piece for the reception of the thumb leaving a flap l 4 for reinforcing the thumb.

pieces, later to be described, and for strengthening the thumb-pahn connection.

In order to further strengthen the mitten and provide additional resistance to wear on the palm, a reinforcing palm piece 15 is provided which is sewed to the palm piece ID. The reinforcing palm piece extends completely across the palm including the side portions and hence reinforces the connection betweenthe front and back of the mitten.

An elongated back piece It has cut-out portions ll and IS for mating with the side portions of the palm and reinforcing palm pieces to which they are joined.

The thumb of the mitten is formed by identical thumb pieces 2s which are joined together by sewing along the outside edge 21, the tip 22 and the inside or front edge 23 as far as the slit 24. The slit B l is approximately midway of the inside edge of the thumb pieces and permits the remainder of the edge 23' and the base 25 to be spaced and joined to the palm pieces around theaperture I 3 to permit the thumb of the user to extend through the aperture into the thumb of the mitten. The base and edge portions 25 and 23' are joined to the palm pieces a substantial distance from the edges defining the aperture in order to provide a more substantial construction, the base of the thumb covering the palm pieces to near the center of the palm of the user.

The flap I4 is positioned to overlie and protect the inside front seamv in order to increase the resistance to wear on the inside of the thumb, in addition to strengthening the thumb-palm connection. 7

A strap and buckle assembly 28 is connected to the back of the wrist portion of the mitten in order to retain it on the hand of the user.

In use the mitten grasping the cable or rope receives its greatest wear across the double thickness palm and the inside of the thumb against the flap which overlies the thumb pieces. Hence, the portions of the mitten receiving the greatest wear are all of double thickness. Furthermore, inasmuch as the seam between the palm and back pieces is on the back of the users hand instead of at the side, such seams are protected from contact with the rope or cable which otherwise would result in their wearing through quickly. I As seen in Fig. 6, the mitten may be made with very little waste of material and from only a minimum number of pieces and, hence, is relatively simple and inexpensive to fabricate.

The mitten is therefore designed to receive maximum wear across the palm and thumb as the hand grasps the cable or rope and will withstand continuous rough usage of this nature.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski tow mitten comprising a palm piece having intermediate side portions folded back and a flap partially cut out to provide a thumb aperture, a reinforcing palm piece joined to the palm piece and extending transversely across the palm including its folded back side portions, an elongated back piece having intermediate cute out portions conforming to the cqntgur of the side portions and joined thereto at the tip and the sides to provide therewith an encompassing hand covering, and a pair of identical thumb pieces forming a thumb sewed together along their back seam, the tip: and approximately half way of the inside edges, the thumb pieces being slit just beyond the sewed together portion of the inside edges, the remainder of the inside edges of the thumb pieces and the bases thereof being separated and sewed to the palm pieces around the thumb aperture and substantially spaced therefrom, the flap extending over the front of the thumb and joined thereto.

2. A ski tow mitten comprising a palm piece having intermediate side portions folded back and a flap partially cut out to provide a thumb aperture, an elongated back piece having intermediate cut-out portions conforming to the contour of the sideportions and joined thereto at the tip and the sides to provide therewith an encompassing hand covering, and a pair of thumb pieces forming a thumb sewed together along their back seam, the tip and approximately half way of the inside edges, the thumb pieces being slit just beyond the sewed together portion of the inside edges, the remainder of the inside edges of the thumb pieces and the bases thereof being separated and sewed to the palm piece around the thumb aperture and substantially spaced therefrom, the flap extending over the front of the thumb and joined thereto.

3. A ski tow mitten comprising a palm piece having intermediate side portions folded back and a flap partially out out to provide a thumb aperture, a reinforcing palm piece joined to the palm piece and extending transversely across the palm including its folded back side portions, an elongated back piece having intermediate cut-out portions conforming to the contour of the side portions and joined thereto at the tip and the sides to provide therewith an encompassing hand covering, and a pair of identical thumb pieces forming a thumb sewed together along their back seam, the tip and the inside edges, the thumb pieces being slit just beyond the sewed together the palm including its folded back side portions,

an elongated back piece having a base, a tip con:- forming to the contour of the tip of the palm piece, and a body having cut out portions for re= ceiving the folded back side portions of the palm piece and joined thereto at the tip and sides to provide therewith an encompassing hand covering, and a hollow thumb piece having an inside portion and a base portion attached to the palm piece around the thumb aperture, the flap ex: tending over the inside portion of the thumb piece.

JOHN E. LANGFORD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date "'"Ti??f',fifi"'7".7 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 593,726 Great Britain out; 23, p341 

